On Saturday, March nine, five-race automobile drivers commemorated at the 11th Annual Elma Auto Racing Hall of Fame Induction Program, and Dinner held at the Grays Harbor County Fairgrounds in Elma.
Inducted into the Hall of Fame have been Rick Greves, Tom Sweatman, Martin Hinderlie, Don “Slim” Erickson, and Bob Beerbower.
Rick Graves
Graves started out racing within the semi-modified elegance in Elma in the 1974 season, wherein he impressed via completing 2d to destiny Elma Hall of Famer Rich Leighty in the seasonal championship.
Graves followed that overall performance with a fourth vicinity in average points in 1975. Graves gained a couple of races over the following 10 years until he suffered a first-rate twist of fate in 1985. After improving under clinical supervision for approximately eight months, Greves lower back to the track to hold racing and, later in his career, gained the mid-season identify. Graves retired from racing within the early ’90s to cognizance on elevating his daughters.
Tom Sweatman
Sweatman started out racing in 1981, a year after graduating excessive faculty, and he’s been at it ever because. Racing hobby stocks, Sweatman gained his first Elma championship in 1989. Sweatman has raced in a couple of training and on both dirt and asphalt surfaces. He gained a top-notch-past due model tune championship at Spanaway Speedway and ran numerous seasons with the NASCAR Northwest Tour, totaling six victories in his time there. In 1999, he gained three races at the Northwest Tour and finished 2nd in factors. Sweatman additionally located fifth in 1994 and fourth in 1998 within the NASCAR collection.
Sweatman also earned a race win in NASCAR’s Southwest Tour in 1999 in the Winter Heat Event held in Tuscon, Arizona, beating future NASCAR Cup Series champions Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch inside the technique. Sweatman back to Grays Harbor Raceway to compete in the changed elegance and has won 3 instantly championships from 2016-18.
Don “Slim” Erickson
Erickson was worried at Grays Harbor Speedway for years, starting out with the aid of supporting friends Brian Sutherby and Donny Fry with their sprint motors. He eventually helped out track coaching and operations before being supplied a position with the song in 2008. Erickson has helped to hold the clay music floor at Elma for over a decade.
Bob Beerbower
Former Grays Harbor County Fair Board member Bob Beerbower, who served in that function for 10 years, balanced speedway and horse racing occasions all through his tenure. After his time with the truthful board, Beerbower served as Grays Harbor County Commissioner for thirteen years. While serving as county commissioner, Beerbower had a fortuitous meeting with late-race promoter Fred Brownfield. The meeting brought about Brownfield selling the “World of Outlaws” sprint car collection at the Elma track in 1996 and 1997, earlier than Brownfield Promotions took over music operations in 1998. Beerbower performed an essential function in raceway facility renovations, supporting convince different county commissioners that the website hosting the sprint series and improving the raceway would benefit the community.
In 2003, paintings started on renovating Grays Harbor Raceway, consisting of a new scoring tower, extra concessions, permanent grandstands, and new tune lights, to call some. Beerbower and Brownfield’s vision for the music additionally blanketed making the track larger, with a brand new crash wall and fencing around the whole thing of the route. The renovations were completed in 2004, giving Grays Harbor one of the top dirt music centers on the West Coast.
Martin Hinderlie
Hinderlie turned into a grasp of many racing trades, competing in two, three, and 4-wheel races on dust, pavement, and off-street guides in the course of his time as a motive force. Hinderlie competed in dust motorbike races at the antique Kingdome and won events on the Tacoma Dome towards competitors from throughout the western United States. He transferred from bikes and Odysseys to four-wheeled machines wherein he dabbled in demolition derbies and staying power activities at tracks in Shelton, Rainier, Spanaway, Yakima, and Elma. In 1984, Hinderlie made the flow to interest shares and showed consistency competing at the Grays Harbor music, winning Rookie of the Year and the track championship in his first season. A few years later, Hinderlie competed in seasoned inventory events and raced late fashions at the NASCAR Northwest Tour.
